When Google started doing its own hardware, a lot of us not too secretly hoped that we’d see some Google-branded wearables. Google already has the base operating system – Wear OS – and we’ve seen many manufacturers have a go at creating the killer watch.
We saw rumours about the Pixel Watch come and go, and then Google dashed our hopes confirming there wasn’t one coming any time soon.
If new job listings are anything to go by – and they could be in this case – that might be about to change.
This week, Google advertised for a Vice President of Hardware Engineering for Wearables. The description reads, “As the VP of Hardware Engineering for Wearables, you’ll work collaboratively with the Senior Leadership team for Google Hardware and will be responsible for the design, development, and shipment of all Google’s Wearable products. You will lead and enable the effectiveness of a large engineering organization primarily based in Mountain View to develop multiple next-generation wearable products simultaneously.”
Sounds pretty clear, right?
Considering Google really isn’t in the wearable space at the moment, this listing may indicate a strong desire to change that. The company currently sells Pixel Buds (if by sell you mean “has available for sale”), but they’re far from a raging success. A good idea poorly executed, Google’s Wearables need a shot in the arm.
There is a second listing for a ‘Wearables Design Manager’, but the description is far less concrete. One might assume that this position would be fleshed out once a VP is hired.
Technically speaking, Pixel Buds is a wearable device.
So is Google Glass, a wearable that Google still has big plans for.